


just friends

by feychella



Series: soft maplekeene [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Campaign: Graduation (The Adventure Zone), Fluff and Angst, M/M, Maplekeene - Freeform, Rain, south asian fitzroy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feychella/pseuds/feychella
Summary: Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt isn't scared of anything - Argo knows better.
Relationships: Argo Keene & Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, Argo Keene/Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt
Series: soft maplekeene [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1959193
Comments: 10
Kudos: 107





	just friends

**Author's Note:**

> I made Fitzroy cry. :(

Fitzroy was exhausted.

He had just ripped a man’s arm off, disrespected approximately 200 centaurs, and recovered from a curse, all in six hours. Althea had finally let him return to his tent, after grilling him with questions about how he was feeling or if he was hungry. She was almost as infuriatingly doting as Argo. Almost. 

Aafter fiddling with the henna tube for far too long, Fitz groaned and threw it aside. Laying in the bed - less fancy than he was accustomed to - Fitz thinks back on the events of the past 48 hours. First, he had gotten cursed by that traitorous bastard, Calhain. He’d fallen asleep, relived his worst days at Clyde Nite's Night Knight School, and woken up to Argo leaning over him. Fitz couldn’t remember the last time someone was so happy to see him. Magic flickers around Fitzroy as he thinks about how close Argo was, how many people were around them, what people would _think-_

A sharp pain shoots through his head. Shutting his eyes, he takes a deep breath. The flap to his tent flutters open and a familiar Scottish accent floats over the pain. _Thank goodness the Firbolg didn’t come in...flip us all over._

“Fitzroy, are you...are you okay?” Fitz rolls over onto his side, facing away from Argo and curling up under the blankets. When no response comes, Argo crosses the room and sits on the edge of the bed. Fitzroy pulls the covers under his chin, roughly brushing away the tears that try to incriminate him. _Weak._ No one had asked him, _really_ asked him, if he was okay since...since his mother, after he’d gotten himself expelled from Clyde Nite’s. Or maybe he was just being emotional. Argo hadn’t meant that in any sort of deeply emotional way. He’s just being a good friend. _Friend._ A dull pain twangs in Fitz’s heart as Argo looks down at him, worried. _That’s all we’ll ever be._

Argo places a hand on Fitz’s shoulder. “Do you need anything? I’m going to turn in soon, and I was just wondering…”

“No, I’m fine. Argo, I’m fine. Just leave me alone.” The words come out a little harsher than he had meant, and pain flashes through Argo’s eyes as Fitz lashes out. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a long day.” Argo inches a little closer, almost knocking Fitz’s glasses off his bedside table. 

The icy winter slices through the warm tent air as the flap to his tent flies open. Fitzroy shivers, cocooning himself in blankets and scrunching himself up further. Argo closes the tent flap and looks back over at Fitz’s trembling form. Thunder crashes outside and Fitz’s head disappears under the covers.

“Fitz, are you sure you don’t want me to stay here?”

Under the layers of sheets, Fitzroy tries to catch his breath. His breath is coming in short gasps. Clyde Nite’s always had horrible thunderstorms. He squeezes his eyes shut, lurid geometric shapes patterning across his vision. One particular storm had had Fitzroy shaking like a leaf, involuntary tears streaming down his face. His roommate had jeered at him from the bottom bunk; from then on, everyone would whisper about the new kid, and how he was afraid of thunder _._ Lightning and thunder meant something different to Fitz. _Do you want me to stay here?_ Argo’s words bounce around his mind and he shoots straight up with a strangled cry with the next burst of thunder, ears straightening.

Argo is right there on the bed, arms already around him as Fitz lets out a terrified sob that turns into full-on crying, heart breaking with every flash of lightning. His own hands are pinned to his sides in Argo’s hug and he wrests them up towards his face and then everything is _painful_ and _loud_ and Fitz is rubbing at his face desperately, try to force the tears away, trying to stop _crying. Knights don't cry._ Shutting his eyes once more, he almost lets himself relax. _We're just friends._

Roughly, too roughly, he shoves Argo away from him. “Go away!” His voice breaks and another round of sobs overcomes him. Argo - _curse him_ \- envelopes Fitzroy in his scent and Fitz’s shoulders release from their tensed-up position. Thunder cracks overhead and he flinches again in Argo’s embrace. Hesitantly, he puts his arms around Argo, resting his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes with each crash of thunder overhead. When lightning strikes outside, Argo’s hand moves to gently stroking Fitzroy’s hair, the other still holding him in a tight embrace. He didn't deserve Argo's kindness, everything he'd done for him- _  
_

_Crack._ The kids making fun of him at school. _Crack._ Sitting in front of the headmaster's office. _Crack._ The look on his mother's face when he told her that he'd been expelled, and that he was sorry, he was _so sorry-_

Blinking away the memories, Fitz puts a hand over Argo’s heart and waits for the storm to be over. Eventually, it ends. The sheets pool around his waist and he embarrassedly settles back onto the mountain of pillows. “Sorry...sorry about that. I didn’t mean to-” Argo starts after a few moments of awkward silence. 

Fitz waves a hand in the air with as much haughtiness as he can muster. “What I did...was not very CEO-like. I apologize for letting you see me in that despicable state.” 

“You're allowed to be afraid, Fitzroy. Doesn't mean ye're not brave.” 

“I know.” The words come out in a hoarse whisper. Rain still pounds on the tent roof, but the thunder has retreated and the warmth of Argo’s hands still lingers on Fitz’s back. The feeling of Argo's hands running through his hair chases away the echo of his roommate's laugh. Fitz blinks the memories away and gives Argo a weak smile. 

“Well, I should be getting back-”

“Can you stay?” The words burst out of Fitzroy's mouth before he can bite them back. Already he's chastising himself: _stupid, why would he want to stay with you?_

Argo grins at him, in the teasing way he used to before they had turned to the full villain/henchman track. Before everything had happened with Chaos. A little bit of hope glimmers in his eyes, too. Hope for a new beginning, perhaps. “If you really want me to.” Fitz nods at him, still silent, and Argo settles down into the dip in the bed, taking his hand and rubbing small circles with his thumb.

And for the first time since leaving home, Fitzroy feels safe.


End file.
